Pure as Snow
by Jordana Amore
Summary: Her break-up with Finn and the coldness of her Glee teammates send Rachel looking for something in all the wrong places. Quinn notices Rachel is spiraling out of control but their complicated past makes her wonder if she should get involved.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi. I'm not exactly new to fan fiction but I am very new to Glee fan fiction so this is my very first Glee fiction. I'd appreciate any feedback you may have. I have some of the next chapter written but I want to see what people think before I set the story in a definitive direction.  
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**Disclaimer: Don't own Glee or its characters or ideas. Consider this story disclaimed. **

* * *

She loves the snow and one good thing, maybe the _only_ good thing, about living in Lima, Ohio is the crisp, clean snow that falls every winter. It's pure and beautiful, everything she wished she was. But despite her renewed vow of abstinence, she'll never be pure again. She lost that when she let her insecurities get the best of her and allowed herself to get carried away with her then boyfriend's best friend. And she isn't beautiful, at least not on the inside. Sure she's gorgeous, she knows that, the entire school knows that, anyone who looks at her knows that, but she doesn't feel beautiful.

She is mean and self-centered and sometimes just plain bitchy. She has her good days where her sweet disposition wins out, but more often than not, she has bad days. On these days all that matters is that she protects the perfect image she worked so hard to obtain. On these days, she's ugly. She has everything a teenage girl could wish for, good grades, popularity, the head cheerleading position, friends, and a hot boyfriend, but it isn't enough to truly make her feel good.

She'll never admit it but the stares she gets from guys when she walks down the hall used to make her feel larger than life. She loved, no she needed, the attention. So when the star quarterback asked her out in the fall of her sophomore year, of course she said yes. She didn't particularly feel anything for Finn, but he was cute and sweet and most importantly, popular. But of course it wasn't enough.

She tried to use Puck to feel good but all that got her was fat and eventually heartbroken. When he invited her over to his house that night she knew it was a mistake. He had a reputation and she had a boyfriend. But her boyfriend was too clueless to realize she needed constant reassurance. Puck knew though because Puck could spot a needy insecure girl a mile away. So he laid on the charm and plied her with cheap wine and insincere compliments and of course she went for it.

After Beth she vowed to stop seeking male attention to validate herself. Because she can't go through it again. She can't deal with the gossip and the stares and being anywhere other than the top of the social pyramid. She can't hand her baby over to a complete stranger and act like her heart isn't being torn out of her chest in the process. _Not again_. She won't do it.

So when Sam gets on one knee and asks her to be his girlfriend, she hesitates. But he's so damn eager and cute that she swears this time will be different. And although she's happy with him, she still has bad days. She made a promise to God and herself not to have sex again till she's married and she fully intends on keeping that promise, but she never promised to abstain from other less than Christian behavior.

The Glee club has become like a surrogate family to her. She had certainly done her share of damage within the group but they never turn their backs on her. It was easy for a while to get lost in the competition and forget that she wasn't exactly on the best of terms with every member. She had ignored Artie and Tina, allowed Kurt to be picked on, broken Finn's heart, used Puck, dethroned Sananta as head Cheerio, and then there was Rachel. She had tortured the girl since the second week of high school. Yet no one seemed to hold her accountable for any of it.

* * *

She remembers her first encounter with Rachel Berry. The school was so big and the halls were so crowded, Quinn was sure she'd never find her homeroom. As she frantically scanned the school map they had provided at freshman orientation, an older girl in a red cheer leading uniform bumped into her. "Learn to walk, freshman!" the girl scoffed as she strutted past her, two other girls laughing at her side.

She started walking but the numbers on the door were going down instead of up and she only had two minutes till the first bell. She was going to be late on her very first day and if she got detention, her father would never let her hear the end of it. She looked around desperately but the crowd had already started to dwindle as students disappeared into classrooms and around corners.

"Are you lost too?" She turned slightly to see a small brunette with a backpack nearly as big as she. The girl was holding the same map as Quinn but she didn't look as lost. "I swear this place was designed by Daedalus himself!" the brunette huffed. "What room are you looking for?"

Quinn marveled at the tiny girl with the loud voice. "212"

The girl grinned widely. "Me too!" She glanced at her map quickly before tossing her head back and declaring confidently, "I think it's this way." Quinn followed eagerly. "I'm Rachel, by the way," she said as they rounded a corner.

"Quinn." Her mouth fell open when they stopped in front of a door with "212" written across it. She had never been so relieved in her life and she had Rachel to thank for it.

"Well Quinn, looks like we made it," Rachel said smiling. They sat together in homeroom and promised to find each other in the cafeteria so they wouldn't have to eat lunch alone.

Quinn's first week at McKinely High went smoother than she had imagined. She had three classes with Rachel besides homeroom and with the loud outgoing girl at her side, she didn't have to walk the treacherous halls alone.

* * *

"So Quinnie, did you make any friends at school?" her mother had asked when that first week came to an end.

Quinn straightened up in her seat. "Yes. Her name is Rachel Berry. We have a few classes together."

"Berry? Doesn't sound familiar," her dad interjected. "Does her family go to our church?"

"No, Daddy. They're Jewish."

Her father nodded and smirked. She wasn't sure what was so funny about her new friend being Jewish but she knew better than to question her father. "So what does her father do?" Mr Fabray continued.

"One's an accountant and the other is a nurse," Quinn answered. Suddenly she found her peas very interesting. She poked the food on her plate intently.

Her father nearly choked on his wine. "She has two fathers?" he asked incredulously. "Are they gay?"

"Yes, Daddy."

Judy Fabray looked up at her daughter and shook her head. "Oh, that poor girl," she gasped. "Being raised in a house of sin. Without a mother. She must be so lost."

Quinn couldn't help but think how wrong her mother was. Rachel was the least lost person she knew. She was the lost one.

"This is what we get for sending her to public school," her father said as he slammed a fist down on the dinning room table. "I told you, Judy, we should have sent her to St. Anne's. Lord knows what other influences she'll have to endure in that place!"

Her mother frowned. "Quinnie, maybe you should try to make some other friends."

"What's wrong with Rachel? She's really nice," Quinn protested.

"Your father and I would just like to see you form more proper friendships, darling. High School is a critical time in a young lady's life and the connections you form can shape your life forever. Maybe you could go out for cheerleading," her mother suggested brightly.

* * *

The following Monday Quinn followed her mother's advice, except she tried to convince Rachel to try out with her. Rachel declined, rattling off a long list of extra-curricular activities she was already committed to and insisting she didn't look like a cheerleader.

When she made the squad she couldn't wait to share the good news with her friend. Rachel smiled and congratulated her but something seemed off. Quinn would later realize that Rachel knew right then that things would change between the two of them once she put on that Cheerio uniform.

And per usual, Rachel was right.

* * *

The older girl on the squad who had bumped into Quinn on the first day of school caught the two freshman walking together in the hall.

"What are you doing, Fabray?" she asked.

"Going to class," Quinn answered, a bit puzzled by the look of contempt on her teammate's face.

The girl pointed at Rachel. "With that?" she asked with blatant disgust. "How can you be with someone who dresses like a blind pre-schooler?" Quinn noticed Rachel looking at the floor as the girl insulted her and it was the first time she actually looked her size. "Come on, Fabray. If you want to be on the squad you can't hang out with losers."

So Quinn allowed herself to be dragged away from Rachel Berry and it's the moment she started to feel like something was missing.

At fist she was just an observer in the Rachel Berry torment, but eventually she's a participant and finally, a leader. And through it all Rachel never says a word. She just looks up at Quinn with pleading eyes and takes the abuse and humiliation.

The other girls on the squad start to admire her for all the wrong reasons and laugh appreciatively when she comes up with a new embarrassing names to call Rachel. It's not enough but it's something and soon she needs their acceptance to fill the void, even if it's only temporary, so she dials it up and takes pleasure in her one time friend's pain.

* * *

She had thought she had conditioned herself not to care about Rachel Berry but she was wrong.

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**::Thanks for reading. I swear it'll pick up a bit in the next chapter. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi again! I just want to thank everyone who's read, reviewed or added this story to their alerts. I was so motivated by the response that I decided to get a new chapter up as soon as possible. So here's little bit of Rachel's perspective before things start to unravel. **

* * *

She returns from winter break with a new outlook on life and a new wardrobe to match. After spending nearly two weeks locked up in her room listening to her "Songs of Heartbreak" playlist and writing lengthy facebook messages of apology to the boy she's loved for as long as she can remember, she had finally tired of hearing her own cries.

She knows she messed up and she wishes every day she could undo her little make out session with Puck, but the truth is, she believes Finn is being irrational. Yes she hurt him when she cheated on him but he hurt her when he lied to her. Why couldn't he see that the two were connected? And why wasn't she rewarded for being honest about her little indiscretion? She starts to believe the saying "the truth will set you free" is nothing more than a cruel joke and that promises made by teenage boys are complete bullshit. He said he'd never break up with her, but at the first sign of trouble he walks away, because she's not worth it.

* * *

The Saturday before she was to return to school she convinced her fathers that she needed new clothes. They permitted the shopping spree because it's the first time she had left the house all break and they were worried.

She knows her strengths (her voice, her determination and her willingness to forgive) but she also knows her weaknesses (her stubbornness, her selfishness and her fashion sense), so she wisely asked Kurt to accompany her. The two have been on much better terms since he transferred to Dalton Academy. She tells him it's because he's no longer a threat to her position as New Direction's top vocalist, but she knows it's because they actually have a lot in common, including the fact that they'd both never admit to having a lot in common.

He picked her up at her house and when she jumped into his Escalade, he flashed a sweet smile and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. It may seem like a routine greeting between two friends who haven't seen each other in a while, but she hasn't had many friends and it felt nice because he seemed genuinely happy to see her.

As soon as they arrived at the mall, Kurt got to work. She thinks he must have had her try on over a hundred different things but she didn't complain. He was doing her a favor and she needs to start acting, and by extension, dressing less like Rachel Berry. So she allowed him to dress her up like his very own Barbie doll and didn't object to the low cut tops or the short dresses he suggested.

"He's just as depressed about this as you are, you know," he said as she stepped out from behind the dressing room curtain.

Rachel looked at the boy in confusion. Was Finn really upset? She wanted to ask a thousand questions but didn't want to seem desperate. "I'm not depressed," she replied finally, her head cocked slightly as she took in her reflection in the floor length mirror.

Kurt laughed heartily. "Oh please, sweetie. If anyone can spot a self-pity shopping spree, it's me." He nodded his approval at the couture dress she was wearing and she once again disappeared behind the curtain to change.

"This isn't about pity," she called out from behind the thick blue fabric. "I just need a change." She convinces herself it wasn't really a lie because it's at least partially true.

"Whatever you gotta tell yourself," Kurt called back.

A couple of minutes later they walked towards the register, a dozen articles of clothing tossed over their arms. "Really, Kurt, I may have been upset at first, but I'm moving on. Finn has made it perfectly clear he wants nothing to do with me and I won't go chasing after him like some lost puppy, not again."

Kurt shook his head slightly. "He doesn't want nothing to do with you, Rach. He's just hurt and too much a guy to do anything about it."

"Why? Did he say something to you? About wanting me back?" she asked hopefully.

"I thought you were moving on," he retorted, obviously amused by her eagerness. "And no, he hasn't said anything but I can tell. He's mopey and moody and all around unpleasant. He won't admit it but it's obvious he's real broken up about losing you. I never understood it but that boy had it bad."

Rachel ignored the little insult Kurt tacked onto his response because he's currently the only semblance of a friend she has and she's sure he didn't mean anything by it. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked after some deliberation. "Don't tell him about this."

* * *

Monday morning she dons her new clothes and heads to school unsure of what to expect. Finn hasn't answered any of her texts or facebook messages and she hadn't spoken to any of the Glee kids since before Christmas. She feels sort of like she did on her first day of high school, except she's not as naive and she's better dressed.

She gets through most of the day without saying a word, a new accomplishment for her. It's not that she doesn't want to talk but no one says hi or asks her what she did over the break so she doesn't volunteer the information. There's at least one glee member in each of her classes but none of them seem to notice her waiting anxiously for their attention.

In class, she doesn't raise her hand when her teachers ask ridiculous questions her simple-minded classmates can't answer but she'd know in her sleep because that's what the old Rachel would have done.

She contemplates skipping glee practice after school but thinks that might be a bit overdramatic and the new Rachel doesn't do overdramatic. So she sits by herself and sings quietly along with the group, not socializing with the other kids or taking the bait when Mr. Shue asks if anyone has any suggestions for Regionals. She'll be keeping her suggestions to herself from now on. No need to give them more ammunition in their war against her.

During a riveting Mercedes solo she steals a glance at Finn. He appears to be watching the performance intently but when Santana leans over and whispers something in his ear, Rachel catches the goofy grin on his face and her heart breaks a little more. God, she loves that smile.

She swallows the hurt that seems to be forming a lump in her throat and focuses on the performance. Maybe tomorrow she will skip rehearsal. They won't miss her.

* * *

It's three weeks into the new year and Finn has yet to say a single word to her. She starts to skip glee practice regularly but the club doesn't seem to notice or care. Except for Mr. Shue, who seems more concerned about their chances at regionals than her well being.

"Is everything alright, Rachel? You've missed rehearsal twice this week." He corners her after Spanish class one day and she's finally forced to speak to someone in Glee.

She doesn't bother coming up with an excuse as to why she's missed so much rehearsal. "I just haven't felt much like singing, Mr. Shue."

"Aren't you concerned about regionals? We only have a couple of months to prepare."

She shrugs. "I'm sure you'll come up with something great for Quinn or Santana to sing. I should be able to learn the backing vocals and choreography easily."

When he frowns at her she realizes she's seen that look from him too many times before. She always seems to be disappointing people. "Rachel, I thought you understood why I didn't give you a solo at sectionals. I was just trying to explore other sources of talent within the group."

"I don't care about solos anymore, Mr. Shue. I don't care about any of it. Explore however you like," she tells him. She imagines her words are coming across as bitter but that's really not the case. She's just had enough.

He frowns again and reminds her that she made a commitment to the team. She may be tired of it all but she doesn't break her promises. So she goes back to swaying in the background, watching her teammates and her ex-boyfriend joke around and sing happily. Eventually just walking into the choir room is enough to make her feel like she's choking.

* * *

There's a boy in her English Literature class whom she catches staring at her one day. She attributes his sudden interest to her new revealing attire, but his eyes on her start to make her feel uncomfortable. His stare is so intense. She glares back at him, assuming he'd turn away in embarrassment at being caught staring, but instead he smiles at her and she feels something inside her stir. It's not like Finn's sweet goofy smile or even Puck's charming cocky smile, it's dark and sort of predatory and she likes it.

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**::Thanks for reading. I hope to get the next chapter written and posted soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: First, thank you to all who have read, reviewed or put this story on alert. It means the world to me. Second, I just want to mention that I never use a Beta and tend to write very late at night so I apologize for any mistakes my tired eyes may have missed. And third, this chapter contains some interaction between our favorite Glee diva and an original character or two. Personally, I'm not a fan of original characters in fanfiction because normally I just want to read about the characters I know and love, but I felt it was necessary to introduce them here in order to advance the plot. I promise they won't become central to the story so just bare with me. **

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The boy with the staring problem approaches her after class. "It's Rachel, right?" He cocks his head to one side and smiles.

She bites her lip shyly and nods. The old Rachel would have grinned back at him like a moron and launched into a 10 minute long introduction, but she's no longer that girl.

"I'm Chase. I almost didn't recognize you." He looks her up and down approvingly. "This new look is working for you, babe." Old Rachel would have been appalled by his forwardness, but new Rachel? She's kind of intrigued by him.

He's tall, but not freakishly tall like Finn, and his thick black hair falls in a mess of curls around his dark brown eyes. She decides he's quite attractive and maybe the sun doesn't rise and set with Finn Hudson.

"It's nice to meet you, Chase." She's sure to contain her smile a bit as not to appear too eager. "I see you're on the football team," she adds after a brief pause. He's wearing a letterman jacket but Rachel doesn't remember him from any of her numerous confrontations with the jocks.

Chase glances down at his jacket, realizing why she's asking. "Yeah. I know the guys have given you a hard time but I'm not like them. I've always found that crap pretty stupid." He leans in a bit and invades her personal space before continuing. "Besides, what kind of loser would waste his time throwing slushy on a pretty girl when he could be taking her out on a date?"

Rachel blushes and fingers the hem of her shirt nervously. "It's a relief to discover you're not just another Neanderthal athlete. I was starting to think this school was composed entirely of cliches."

He chuckles lowly. "And what cliche would you fit?"

"I'm your typical ugly duckling," she answers with a sweet but sad smile "Socially retarded, perpetually awkward and up until recently, unfortunately outfitted."

His lips curl a bit and suddenly his hand is reaching towards her. "There's nothing ugly about you," he whispers as he pushes the strands of hair from her eyes. His lips hover over her ear and she can feel his hot breath on her skin. He lets his knuckles trail down her upper arm before pulling back from her. "I'd like to get to know you better, Rachel."

"That would be nice," she chokes out. She's not used to someone coming on to her so strongly. There's a small voice in her head telling her to run, that no good can come from this, that he's probably playing a trick on her. He is after all a good looking football player and probably out of her league, at least socially. But she can't listen to that voice right now because that voice sounds an awful lot like the old Rachel Berry.

They exchange cell phone numbers and he promptly begins to fill her inbox with sweet but somewhat suggestive text messages. When he invites her to a party Friday night after the football game she nervously accepts. She tells herself she needs to move on and expand her social horizons, but she's never been to a house party before and the task seems a bit daunting.

* * *

She spends her time during Glee thinking about what she'll wear, how she should act and how she should interpret Chase's flirty text messages. She thinks she'll call Kurt later for some help.

"Earth to Manhands!" Her head snaps up to find the source of the voice piercing through her thoughts. "You missed your cue," Quinn says, her eyes rolling in annoyance.

"Oh, sorry," Rachel mutters.

"Gees Berry, what's the matter with you? You've like totally checked out," Santana adds. "I thought you live for this stuff."

Artie turns his chair towards her. "Now that they mention it, you have been a little quiet lately," he says matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, you haven't been nearly as annoying as you usually are," Mercedes joins in. "You're not still pouting over losing the solo at sectionals, are you?"

"Maybe vampires stole her voice," Brittany suggests happily.

"Vampires suck blood, they don't steal voices," Tina explains.

Rachel glances around nervously. She catches Finn looking at her for the first time in weeks but he quickly turns his eyes away when they meet hers. Finally she straightens up in her seat and composes herself. "I've just been a little distracted, but I can assure you all that I am completely committed to this club. I apologize for my little faux-pa. Now can we please get back to the song?"

There's some muttering and exchanging of nasty looks but eventually the commotion dies down and the club moves on. Rachel notices Mr. Schue giving her one of his patented disappointed looks but can't seem to find her remorse. She's been disappointed by everyone in her life, why should she care if she's the one doing the disappointing for once?

* * *

On Thursday morning she arrives at school to find Chase leaning against her locker. She doesn't remember telling him where exactly her locker was, but nonetheless, he's there, staring at her as she approaches with a lecherous smile.

"Good morning, Chase," she greets warmly.

He pushes himself off the locker and doesn't waste any time capturing her in a firm kiss. His hands find their place on her hips and grip possessively as he turns to back her into the locker.

She's completely caught off guard when his lips latch onto hers and his hands grasp her hips. She's only known him for a few days and most of their communication has been limited to text messages. She thinks it's completely inappropriate for him to kiss her so passionately and so publicly this soon, but she can't seem pull herself away. He's all heat and desire, and she likes the roughness of his hands on her body and the intensity of his mouth on hers. She likes feeling alive again.

"What was that?" she asks breathlessly when he finally breaks the kiss.

He leaves a hand on her hip and begins to trace circles on the sliver of exposed skin between her skirt and top with his thumb. He places his other hand on the locker besides her head, effectively trapping her with his body. "I had a dream about you last night," he answers. "And I woke up with this insane need to kiss you. When I want something, I go for it." He finishes with a shrug like attacking her with his lips in the middle of school when they haven't even gone out yet was completely normal.

Rachel ducks her head from his intense gaze. She doesn't typically get bashful but there's something about Chase that makes her squirm a bit. "What was I doing in the dream?" she asks curiously.

He laughs and winks at her. "A lot more than just kissing me, but I think we'd get in trouble if you did _that_ in the hallway." He smirks a bit and raises an eyebrow. "Not that I'd object."

Despite her newly adopted attitude of indifference, she can't avoid looking completely shocked and appalled at the implication. Her mouth falls open in an attempt to compose a response but he doesn't give her the chance.

Chase just grins at her scandalized expression and presses his thumb more firmly into her hip bone, causing her to gasp slightly. "I'm really looking forward to Campbell's party tomorrow. I find that some people are completely different once they're outside these school walls. I think you're one of those people, Rachel." He begins to drag his hand from her hip up to her ribcage. "You like to play the good girl during school hours, but I bet you're a wild one out there. Aren't you?"

Rachel doesn't say anything because she doesn't want to shatter the sexy image Chase somehow formed of her. It's flattering and much more interesting than the truth. Instead she just bites her bottom lip and shrugs coyly. She hears him groan before his lips are on hers again. This time the kiss is rough and a bit sloppy and he uses his hands to explore her upper body expertly.

"I'll catch you later," he says after withdrawing his tongue from her mouth.

She's a little flustered from their interaction and just watches as he disappears down the hall. After a moment she dispels the fog from her head and turns her attention to her locker.

* * *

She eats lunch alone that day, like she has every day since returning from winter break. She briefly wonders why Chase has no problem shoving his tongue down her throat in a crowded hallway but won't sit with her in the cafeteria. She decides not to dwell on the matter because it'll only bring her down so she chalks it up to their different social standings. She's halfway through her Caesar salad when she spots a figure looming over the table.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, genuine confusion laced in her voice.

Finn gives her a serious look before taking a seat across from her. "I heard you're going out with Palladino."

Rachel lets out a small sigh. She was hoping Finn was approaching her to have a mature conversation, not to act like a typical jealous ex-boyfriend. "I'm not going out with Chase. We've just been talking a bit."

He narrows his eyes and looks at her accusingly. "So you'll just make out with anyone now? Are you that desperate?"

"I take it you heard about our little kiss in the hallway this morning?" she asks quietly. She's not sure why she feels bad about her kiss with Chase, she obviously has no loyalty to Finn now and it's her right to move on with her life, like he has. But there's something resembling regret swimming around inside her stomach because despite their incredibly mixed up past, she doesn't want to hurt his feelings. She just wants to repair hers.

"Yeah, I heard," he says coldly, his eyes looking down on her with a mix of contempt and pity.

His tone and expression promptly extinguish her feelings of regret and suddenly she finds her indignation. "It's no big deal and really none of your concern," she responds tightly, trying to sound just as cold as he did.

"No big deal? Rachel, what's up with you lately? You're dressing differently, you no longer participate in glee, you hardly even talk and now you're making out with the biggest douche bag in the school. You're not acting like yourself." He gestures animatedly towards her. "This isn't you!"

She's pissed that he thinks he has the right to yell at her for behaving in a manner he doesn't like, but she's also somewhat thrilled that he's noticed."Isn't that a good thing?" she counters. She thought he'd appreciate the new Rachel more since the old one obviously wasn't good enough. "And Chase is not a douche bag."

"Yes he is. He's always running his mouth about all the girls he's banged in the locker room. Where do you think I heard about you and him?"

She startles a bit. "But we didn't!"

"No, but that didn't stop him from telling the guys you let him cop a feel in the middle of the hallway without him even having to take you out."

"He wouldn't say that," she insists, or at least she hopes. She honestly doesn't know what he'd say.

Finn shakes his head in disbelief. "How would you know? You don't even know him." He exhales loudly before refocusing his gaze on his ex-girlfriend. "Look, I know what you're trying to do, but dressing like a slut and using that jerk to make me jealous is a bad idea. It won't work."

"I'm not trying to make you jealous. Not everything I do is about you, Finn," she spits angrily. Maybe it was a little bit about him, but she certainly had more than enough reason to change without the breakup.

He pushes his chair back and stands. "If you need a guy to make you feel better about yourself can you at least pick someone who's not on the football team? That way I won't have to hear about it in the locker room afterward. I get enough crap from the guys as it is, I don't need my ex-girlfriend whoring herself out to the whole team on top of it!"

Her eyes grow three times in size and she feels like someone just smacked her in the face. Anger, hurt and embarrassment wash over her in waves. She knew they were on bad terms, but she never expected him to insult her that way. A couple of minutes pass before she realizes he's gone and she's crying.

When the bell rings to signal the end of the lunch period, she makes no attempt to get up.

"I hate seeing a pretty girl cry." She looks up through her tears to see Chase standing in front of her. "What's the matter, Beautiful?"

She's not at all happy to see him. "You told the guys on the team lewd things about us," she accuses harshly.

Chase frowns and walks around the table to sit beside her. "I said no such thing. I may have let it slip that we shared the hottest kiss ever this morning." He tilts her chin up so that she can see the smile on his face. "I'm just excited about us and wanted everyone to know that you're mine now, I didn't mean to upset you."

Rachel takes a moment to process his words. "If you're so excited, why won't you sit with me at lunch? Too afraid of what your meathead buddies will think?" She looks away, worried that she's showing too much of the old Rachel Berry.

"If I was worried about what they think I wouldn't have invited you to the party tomorrow night. I'm not trying to keep you a secret, Rachel. I just thought you liked your space, but now that I know...I'll be sure to sit with you tomorrow." He squeezes her hand reassuringly and she starts to feel herself thaw out a bit. "Now come on, no more tears." He swipes the moisture from her cheeks with his thumbs and gives her a quick kiss.

Chase walks her to class and offers her a ride home after school. She accepts and starts to feel a little better about the Finn incident. Maybe if things with Chase turn into something more than just making out and flirting she won't be so bothered by Finn's words.

* * *

The last bell of the school day sounds and Rachel's thrilled to be leaving. Chase meets her at her locker to take her home like he promised, but he's accompanied by another boy in a letterman jacket.

Chase steps forward to make the introduction. "Rachel, this is Holden. He's gonna ride with us, if that's ok with you." He gives his friend a hearty pat on the back.

"James Holden," the other boy clarifies with a smile. "Chase was right, you are much hotter now."

Rachel blushes at the boy's boldness. "Of course it's ok with me." She recognizes James, although he looks much different now. She had a couple of classes with him freshman year, but back then he wore glasses and weighed about 60 pounds less. Now he's a strapping 200 pound offensive lineman.

The three of them ride together in the cab of Chase's truck, Rachel sandwiched between the two football players.

"So Rach, I hear you're coming to Campbell's party tomorrow night?" James asks as they pull out onto the main road.

Rachel nods. "Yes. Chase was kind enough to invite me." Chase gives her leg a squeeze at the mention of his name.

"Is this your first post-game party?" James continues.

She nods again.

"It's gonna be awesome," he informs her with an excited grin. "We'll be sure to show you a great time."

She notices the two boys exchanging amused looks over her head but chalks it up to typical teenage boy immaturity. The truck rolls to a stop in front of the Berry house and Rachel politely offers her thanks for the ride.

"No problem, babe," Chase says grabbing her face and planting a hungry kiss on her mouth. She feels a little uncomfortable kissing him in the presence James so she starts to pull back, but Chase's hand snakes around to the back of her head and holds her firmly in place as he deepens the kiss.

When Chase finally releases her, she turns to exit through the passenger side, her cheeks still flushed from Chase's public display of affection. She waits patiently but James makes no attempt to get out and let her pass. She turns towards Chase expectantly but he offers no assistance either.

"Excuse me," she finally mutters in James' direction.

James opens the door and leans back, spreading his legs to create a bit more space and motioning for her to go ahead. She eyes him curiously. _Surely he wasn't expecting her to crawl over him?_ When he doesn't budge and just continues to stare at her with that strange smug look on his face, Rachel decides she has no choice but to go for it. There's not enough room in the cab for her to stand so she's forced to scoot towards the door on her backside. She slides over his lap and hops out of the truck, not missing the grunting sound that escapes his mouth when she makes brief contact with his groin.

* * *

Finally up in her room, Rachel starts to reconsider Chase's invitation to the party tomorrow. Something about the boy and his friend struck her as _off_, but she quickly pushes her hesitation aside. Finn's words still linger in her head and she's determined to prove him wrong. Maybe Chase did make her feel a bit better about herself, but that didn't mean there couldn't be more there, if she just put a little effort into it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Once again, thank you to all who have read, reviewed or put this story on alert. Sorry this chapter took me a little longer to get out. I actually had part of what will be the next chapter written before this but decided I needed to build up to that part a bit more, so here goes. **

"So who's this guy again?" Kurt asks as he rifles through Rachel's closet, not bothering to hide the look of disgust on his face when he stumbles upon the old familiar plaid and argyle garments that formerly made up Rachel's wardrobe.

Rachel sits on the bed, waiting for her new friend and self-appointed stylist to find something suitable for the party. "His name is Chase and he's on the football team."

Kurt throws a couple of dresses on the bed and rolls his eyes. "Of course he is. So, is that why you're freaking out about this party? Because a big important football player invited you and you need to impress."

"I don't get invited to many parties. I just want to look nice," she confesses shyly.

"Put this on." He presents her with a tiny black cocktail dress he had forced her to buy during their shopping spree a few weeks ago. "And you're wearing the boots with it."

Rachel took the dress nervously. "Won't I look like a...slut?" She couldn't help repeating Finn's statement about her new attire from the previous day. She hadn't wanted to buy the dress in the first place, it was much too short and way too tight, she needed assistance just to get in it. And the boots Kurt was referring to, the boots with the four inch heels that went all the way up to her thighs, they certainly wouldn't help disprove Finn's little slut comment.

"I thought that's what we're going for?" Kurt starts with a laugh but quickly changes his tune when he sees Rachel's horrified expression. "I'm kidding. It's not slutty." He fishes for a more comforting word. "It's just more _mature_."

Rachel accepts his explanation and disappears into her bathroom to put the dress on. She comes out moments later to ask Kurt for help with zipper. "I'm not sure I'll be able to get out of this thing without help later," she says smoothing down the material a bit.

"I'm sure Chase will be happy to help," Kurt winks at her.

"There will be none of that," she informs him pointedly. "I'm just going to have a little fun and get my mind of off _things_."

Kurt starts to set out various hair products on the vanity and motions for her to sit down. "And by _things_ do you mean Finn?"

Rachel sighs. "The situation has just been so tense. For weeks, I wanted nothing more than for Finn to forgive me and for us to go back to the way things were. But I realized that wasn't going to happen, that Finn would never be able to get past my stupid mistake, even though I've forgiven him on numerous occasions, so I have to try to move on. Even if I did still have some lingering feelings for Finn, he's made it perfectly clear how he feels about me." She elects not to delve further into just how Finn expressed those feelings towards her a day earlier. She assumes Finn hasn't told Kurt about their little confrontation because there'd be no way Kurt wouldn't have questioned her about it already, so she decides its best not to bring up anything too negative about her new friend's step-brother. "And now there's Chase," she continues after a moment. "I don't know what's going to happen with him, I don't even know him that well, but he's so passionate and intense." She turns in her chair to look at him excitedly. "Kurt, you have to see the way he looks at me... like he wants to devour me. It's so raw."

"But you don't want him to devour you?" Kurt asks as he starts to loosely curl her hair.

"Of course not!" she replies. "But it's nice to be desired." She couldn't reveal that Chase wasn't the one whom she wanted to desire her because Kurt probably thought she was pitiful enough as it is. He didn't need to know that she was still longing after his step-brother, despite being verbally attacked and berated by him just a day ago.

Kurt walks around her chair to sit on the edge of the vanity and points a comb at her intently. "You better be careful tonight. When I'm done with you, this Chase fellow won't be the only one wanting to devour you." He gives her a suggestive smirk before returning his attention to her hair.

She smiles sheepishly before tucking her head into her chest. It really didn't matter how good she looked, she still felt horrible. Finn had said some pretty awful things to her the day before and yet she was still thinking about him, still wanting him. _God, she's so pathetic._ She needs to get her mind off of Finn Hudson.

* * *

It's snowing when she leaves for the party and Rachel seizes the opportunity to convince her fathers that Kurt's SUV would be a much safer mode of transportation in this weather than their tiny hybrid. They of course concede and allow Kurt to drive her to the party, after a brief lecture on the dangers of underage drinking and teen sex of course.

"You should come in," Rachel suggests when Kurt pulls up to the address Chase had provided. She could definitely use a friend in there.

"Yeah Rachel, going to a party thrown by guys who tortured me my entire time at McKinely seems like a great idea," he says sarcastically. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Rachel looks down at her lap. How could she forget all the horrible things the football team had done to Kurt before he transferred to Dalton? "Oh, right. Sorry."

"You're nervous?" he then asks. She bites her lip and nods. "Don't be. There'll be a bunch of Glee kids there, so you'll at least be surrounded by some familiar faces."

"That's sort of what I'm worried about." She hadn't failed to notice that just about all of the Glee club fit the requirements to being invited to this party. They were either football players, cheerleaders, or dating football players. From what she understood, even Mercedes would be there, as she had been dating that boy Kurt set her up with a while ago. If Chase hadn't invited her, Rachel would have been the only one left out. Somehow that makes her even more reluctant to leave the comfort of Kurt's Escalade.

Kurt gives her a reassuring smile. "Look, just walk in there, head up, shoulders back, like you own the place and don't worry about what anyone thinks. Now go and have some fun!"

Rachel flips the mirror down to check herself over once more. "Thanks Kurt." She gives him a quick peck on the cheek before hopping out of the SUV.

"Hey Rach," he calls out through his open window as she carefully makes her way down the walkway. She spins around at the sound of her name."Call me if things don't go well, I'll come get you." She smiles and nods. "And be safe!" he adds. She can't help but laugh and shake her head at his attempt to look out for her. She already has two gay dads, she didn't need another. He pulls away with a cheerful honk of his horn.

She lingers in front of the door of a classmate she hardly knows, allowing snowflakes to accumulate in her softly curled hair. Kurt would kill her if he knew she was letting his hard work get ruined, but she can't bring herself to knock just yet. She's about to walk into a house full of kids who have either ignored her or actively tormented her. She lets out a deep breath and rocks back on her ridiculously high heeled boots. The panic starts to build as she thinks off all the ways the night can go terribly wrong. She's considering the possibility that Chase's interest and her invite to this party could very well be an elaborately orchestrated prank and she might be playing into their plans by willfully entering the house.

Before she can make up her mind the door flies open, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"RuPaul?" Quinn looks at her peculiarly. "Ugh, what are you doing here?"

Rachel falters for a few seconds under the blonde's contemptuous gaze before finding her voice. "I was invited."

"I thought Finn dumped you?" she asks unsympathetically.

"Finn didn't invite me."

"You mean there's someone else at this school dumb enough to ask you out?" Quinn just laughs and rolls her eyes at her own question. "I guess low standards and bad taste are contagious amongst jocks."

"Can we go check if your phone is in my car already?" Sam whines from behind his girlfriend. "I want to get back inside before they start the next round of flip cup." Rachel had been so fixed on Quinn that she hadn't even realized the tall blonde boy was standing there before he opened his mouth.

Quinn pushes past Rachel, Sam at her heels. "Nice dress, Manhands" she calls back to the shorter girl with a smirk. "Desperate much?"

"Hey Rachel," Sam greets awkwardly as Quinn leads him to look for her missing phone.

Rachel turns sharply on her heels. She had to get out of there immediately. She didn't belong here, with people like Sam and Quinn. She wasn't pretty or popular. Her hands nervously dig into her tiny silver clutch for her cell phone. Kurt couldn't have gotten too far.

"There you are!" a voice calls out suddenly. Rachel turns to see Chase and James rolling a keg each across their teammate's neatly manicured lawn. They stop once they reach her. "I wasn't sure you'd come. You look hot!" Chase leans in to give her a kiss that tastes like beer and cigarettes.

"Glad you could make it, Rach," James adds with a wide smile. "Now lets get drunk!" The boys hoist their respective kegs on their shoulders and continue towards the door.

Before she can respond properly she's being led inside by Chase's free hand on her backside. He deposits the keg in the kitchen and pulls Rachel closer against his body.

* * *

She allows Chase to lead her through the throngs of drunk obnoxious teenagers. He manages to find an empty recliner in what appears to be the living room and pushes her down lightly so that she's sitting in it. "Wait here, I'll get us a couple of drinks." She wants to tell him not to bother bringing her a drink because she won't be partaking in the consumption of alcohol this evening, but she doubts he'd be able to hear her over the music anyway.

Now alone, Rachel scans the room for those familiar faces Kurt thought would make her feel better. Brittany's perched on Artie's lap in the corner feeding him pretzels, Mike and Tina are up dancing with Mercedes and her date, and Finn and Santana are sitting dangerously close to one another on the sofa opposite her.

Of course Chase had to tell her to wait _here _of all places. Finn catches her starring at him and Santana and before she can divert her gaze, he's leaning down and pressing his lips to the cheerleader's with a smirk, his eyes trained on Rachel the whole time. She sees him smile as he pulls his head back from Santana's and Rachel wonders what she ever saw in Finn Hudson.

Finally Chase returns and offers her a large red cup. She wasn't planning on drinking tonight, but she wasn't planning on watching her ex-boyfriend, whom she's still madly in love with, make out with the school slut either. She takes the cup and downs half of its contents instantly, her face scrunching a bit at the burning taste in the back of her throat.

"Whoa, someone's ready to party," Chase announces happily. He reaches out and pulls her out of the recliner by her hand before settling into it himself. He then pulls her back down onto his lap. "Much better," her murmurs into her hair.

Rachel tries to get comfortable on the boy's lap but she's a little more than slightly distracted by the convergence of Finn and Santana a few feet away. Santana has turned so that her legs are draped over Finn's thighs and his hands are running absently up and down the material of her jeans, all the while looking at Rachel and Chase.

Finn's not so subtle efforts to hurt her start to work a little too well and to keep from crying, Rachel turns intently towards the boy whose lap she's occupying. "So Chase," she starts sweetly, placing a hand softly against his chest, "how'd the game go tonight?"

She listens as he gives a detailed play by play of McKinely's victory, trying not to wince when he recounts Finn's 35 yard touchdown pass.

"But enough about the game," Chase wraps up. "I can think of much more exciting things for us to be doing right now." He starts to nibble on her earlobe and Rachel has to bite her lip to suppress a startled gasp from escaping her mouth. The fact that Finn and Santana are in a very similar position just a few feet from her and Chase does not go unnoticed by Rachel and she finds herself lifting the cup to her mouth once again, taking two large gulps in hopes of extinguishing her anxiety.

Chase moves his lips to her neck and shoulder, sucking on the exposed flesh hungrily. "You like?" he asks, stopping briefly to glance at her near empty cup.

It takes a moment for Rachel to realize Chase isn't talking about his mouth on her skin but instead the drink in her hand. "Oh...yeah. It's fine." She has no idea what exactly is in the cup but it doesn't taste nearly as bad as she thought it would. It's a little bitter but there's some sort of juice mixed with the seemingly generous amount of alcohol to mask the taste a bit.

"It's me and Jame's special mix," he grins at her. Rachel nods and drains the remaining liquid in the cup. She didn't really care, but Chase seemed proud of his bar-tending skills. "Here," he says pouring the contents of his own cup, which she didn't remember seeing him drink from, into hers. She eyes him curiously. "I've been drinking all night, you need to catch up," he explains with a shrug before returning his mouth to her neck.

One very large and strong drink in and Rachel's already starting to feel a bit tipsy. She figures it's probably due to the combination of her lack of drinking experience, her small stature and the minimal amount of food she's consumed throughout the day. Despite Chase's suggestion that she had a ways to go before she's caught up to his state of inebriation, she thinks she's far more drunk than him. In fact, he seems stone cold sober. She internally chides herself for over thinking the situation and takes a few sips of her replenished drink.

When her head starts to feel heavy she throws it back and closes her eyes, trying to calm her increasingly frazzled mind. Chase takes the opportunity to kiss his way down the column of her neck to the front of her chest. "God Rachel, you don't know what you do to me," he breathes harshly against her skin.

Rachel loses herself in the heated make out session, not even registering his hand on her thigh till it starts to slip under her dress and between her legs. "Chase," she warns hazily as she tips her head back down and removes his hand, placing it safely at her hip instead.

He doesn't acknowledge the brief protest but covers her lips with his to prevent another one. His lips attack her mouth eagerly and for the first time all night, Rachel's not thinking about Finn. She relishes in the sense of forgetting and welcomes Chase's tongue against hers.

His hand starts to climb up her thigh again, pressing firmly when he reaches her center. "Chase, wait," Rachel says pulling his hand from her lap and breaking their kiss.

"What's wrong, babe?" he asks innocently.

Rachel tugs at the bottom of her dress, silently willing it to cover more of her legs. "Nothing...it's just... I don't," she stammers nervously. She takes a large gulp of her drink in hopes of buying her fuzzy mind more time to come up with a suitable answer. "I...maybe we shouldn't...we're surrounded by people, Chase," she manages finally, her eyes darting around the room apprehensively.

"Do you want to go somewhere more private?" he whispers seductively into her ear.

"No!" she shrieks a little louder than she had intended. Afraid Chase might be getting annoyed with her, she quickly adds, "Uhm, I'm just so comfortable here." She snuggles against his chest for emphasis. "I see no reason to leave such a great spot."

She looks up after a moment expecting to find Chase glaring down at her angrily, but instead he's smiling, an amused look plastered on his face. "Are you a virgin, Rachel?"

She pulls back from him with a startled intake of breath. "What? What makes you think that?" She looks absolutely mortified. It's not that she's embarrassed about being a virgin, she was very confident in her decision to wait, but she is slightly surprised that her lack of experience is so evident to the boys she fools around with.

Chase doesn't bother to hide his laughter. "Relax, babe. It's not a bad thing. I think it's kind of sweet. Not many girls are as," he pauses to brush the hair from her face before continuing, "pure as you. It's kind of a turn on."

Rachel's not sure what to make of his declaration. She wasn't exactly expecting him to be appreciative of her virginity. She always assumed guys preferred the more willing girls. Still, she feels the need to clarify things between them. "That's very kind of you to say, but I'm not looking to change that tonight. I just feel I should make that clear before we continue."

"Don't worry, baby. I just want to have fun, we don't have to do anything you're not ready for." He puts his hands on her hips and swivels her around a bit in his lap so that she's facing forward. "Now let me get you another drink, that one looks a little low." He pats her on the bottom, urging her to stand up so that he can retrieve the liquor.

Finally on her feet for the first time since she started pounding down Chase and James' "special mix", Rachel takes a shaky step forward as the lights and noise in the room seem to rush at her in one dizzying flash. She mutters a low "whoa" at the unfamiliar sensation and slams her eyes closed. Nothing seems still to her. After swaying a bit in her spot she opens them to look for one of her glee teammates. Maybe they could tell her if being drunk was supposed to feel like this.

She spots Tina and Mike sitting on the couch where Finn and Santana had been previously. However, the couple is so engrossed in their own making out that Rachel wouldn't dream of interrupting to pose her question.

Realizing that Finn and Santana were gone, and most likely together, Rachel starts to hesitantly teeter around the unfamiliar house, bumping into nameless jocks and snobby cheerleaders as she does. She peaks into each of the other rooms on the ground floor, not finding the duo anywhere before painfully resigning herself to the idea that they're probably upstairs having sex.

When she pokes her head into the kitchen she see Chase and James huddled behind the counter, whispering and laughing with several bottles and cups laid out before them. Deciding the lights in the kitchen are too damn bright for her to endure any longer, she goes to wait for him some place more conducive to her current state. She makes her way back to the living room, but a couple of cheerleaders have taken their spot on the recliner and the rest of the seating in the room is occupied by horny couples, so she settles for a spot on the large spiral staircase in the foyer.

After a couple of minutes her eye lids begin to feel heavy and she starts to feel woozy. She leans her head against the banister and closes her eyes.

* * *

"Wake up, sleepy head."

She hears Chase's voice but can't seem to open her eyes. "Mmm, so tired," she mumbles. "Need to sleep."

Chase grabs hold of her wrists and pulls her upright. "No, no, not time for bed yet. We're gonna dance."

She blinks a few times before snapping her eyes fully open. "You came baaack," she slurs happily. "They never come back." She shakes her head regretfully.

"Who never comes back?" He slips a hand behind her back and turns to position her against the wall for support.

"Boys. They never come back for me. They all leave," she states sadly. "But you're here."

"Of course I'm here." Chase presses a kiss to her lips. "I'm not like other guys." She nods in agreement. "Here." He presents her with one of the two drinks in his hand.

Rachel eyes the large red cup suspiciously. "Oh, I don't think I should." She glances around nervously before leaning in to whisper something to the boy. "I think I'm a little drunk already."

Chase can't help but laugh at her confession. "You're fine, you only had a couple of drinks. Besides, I'm here to take care of you. Don't you trust me?" He runs his fingers through her hair tenderly.

Rachel bites her lip. He came back, she couldn't hurt his feelings. "Yes."

"Then here," he repeats handing her one of the cups and placing the second on the stairs for later. "You deserve to have a good time tonight. Live a little." He pulls her flush against him and begins to sway to the music.

Another drink and a half of Chase and James' "special mix" and Rachel can barely manage to stand up. If it wasn't for Chase's body pressing her against the wall she's certain she'd slide to the floor. She wants to stay awake for Chase but the fog in her head is too thick. She just needs to close her eyes again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I apologize for the delay in updating, sometimes I lose my inspiration and it can be a bit of a struggle to get another chapter complete. Thanks again to all who have read, reviewed or put this story on alert. Please continue to let me know what you think, it helps keep the wheels turning in my head. **

**

* * *

**

"Is that Rachel?" a shocked Sam asks, pointing to two figures up against a wall on the far side of the room. Quinn follows her boyfriend's gaze to see a bulky dark haired boy in a letterman jacket grinding into a petite brunette girl against the wall.

"No. It can't be!" she says incredulously. "They're practically dry humping in the middle of the party and Berry's a total prude." Quinn peers more intently at the two, trying to determine if the girl was in fact her Glee club captain. She had run into the annoying little hobbit earlier in the evening and knew she was here so it was possible, even it seemed totally unlikely that she'd be in such a position.

When the guy in the jacket leans down to suck on the girl's neck, Quinn is finally able to make out her face. "Wow, looks like someone finally took the stick out of her ass." She's not sure why she's so surprised by Rachel's behavior, the girl had always been a bit of an enigma to her, but public foreplay really didn't seem like Berry's MO.

"Guess she's over Finn, huh?" Sam chuckles besides her.

Quinn glances down at her cell phone, now safely back in her possession after 25 minutes of frantic searching, and tries to appear bored because she sure as hell couldn't appear interested in Rachel Berry's love life. "Guess so."

Quinn continues to watch as the faceless boy bends further to burry his head in Rachel's cleavage, all the while continuing to grind his pelvis into her. She can't help but notice that Rachel seems rather passive in the act. When her head starts to loll from side to side lazily and her eyes begin to fall closed, the boy puts a hand under each arm to steady her and continues. From what Quinn can tell by Rachel's posture, he's completely supporting her weight.

"She must be really wasted if she's making out with Palladino," Sam speaks up. "That dude's a total jerk."

"Chase Palladino?" Quinn questions. She can't see the guy's face but assumes Sam is better suited to recognize his teammate. She knows Palladino's reputation is sketchy and something inside her urges her to intervene. But she can't be caught helping a social misfit like Rachel Berry at a party filled with the school's social elite, so she drags Sam to a spot opposite the staircase with a decent view of Rachel and takes a seat, continuing to watch the scene out of the corner of her eye.

Another boy approaches the duo and taps Chase on the shoulder to whisper something in his ear. Quinn assumes Chase was probably just biding his time with Rachel and expects to see the two jocks walk off together and leave the drunken girl alone. Instead, Chase shoves Rachel towards his friend with a laugh and the newcomer fists Rachel's hair roughly as he pulls her against his body, planting a sloppy kiss on her mouth and a large hand on her breast. Chase watches with a grin as his friend devours a limp Rachel with his mouth.

When Rachel doesn't at all object to, or even seem to notice, the change in partners, Quinn knows she has to do something. She may not like the girl, but she can't watch this any longer.

"I'll be back," she briskly informs Sam and rises from her seat. The party is crowded and Quinn has difficulty pushing her way through the mass of drunk rowdy teenagers. There's still quite a bit of distance between the two Glee club members when three giggling Cheerios step into Quinn's path.

"Oh my God, Quinn!" one of the girls exclaims, her speech slurred and her grip on the drink in her hand unstable.

It takes all of Quinn's will not to roll her eyes at the underclassmen standing in her way, who were obviously playing up their tipsiness for the benefit of the crowd. She quickly realizes that as their captain she has to maintain a certain decorum and pushing them aside to get to the wildly unpopular Rachel Berry would simply not fly. Clenching her teeth to avoid accidentally voicing her aggravation, she hazards a quick glance towards the three figures by the staircase, hoping they won't move before she can manage to untangle herself from her loyal but annoying followers.

After several painfully long minutes the girls finish their pointless story about an incident at Cheerios practice that was apparently "sooo hysterical" and Quinn puts on her version of a show face.

"That is too funny!" she begins with a forced laugh. "I can't believe Chelsea did that. You're too much!" She beams with all the phony grace and giddiness she can muster. She touches a hand to one of the girl's arms with a polite smile. "If you'll excuse me, I was just looking for a bathroom in this place. It was nice catching up with you girls."

As she strolls away from the small group with her reputation in tact and her intentions still unknown, she finally rolls her eyes. God, she hated playing the part sometimes, even if she was ridiculously good at it.

However, her confidence falters when she realizes Rachel is gone, as are the two buffoons who were holding her up minutes earlier. "Shit," she mutters glancing around the room urgently. Her eyes weren't deceiving her, the tiny brunette was definitely nowhere to be found. Forgetting appearances for a moment she grabs a random party-goer passing by. "Did you see where Rachel Berry went?"

"Who?" the boy offers dumbly before an obviously annoyed girlfriend pulls him away.

She spots Mercedes laughing with her date by the television. "Mercedes!" Her voice is much more urgent than she intends and she cringes at the sound. She needs to dial it down a notch before people start to question her dire need to find Rachel. "Mercedes," she repeats much more nonchalantly when she closes the gap between them. "Have you seen Rachel around?"

Mercedes smile fades instantly. "I knew it!" she gasps with a shake of her head. "I knew there had to be a reason she was here! Look, I pretty much think Rachel is the Queen of annoying and there's days when I want to stuff her in a cardboard box and ship her to Mexico, but if whatever stunt you guys have planned for her tonight backfires and she quits Glee because of it, don't come crying to me when we lose Regionals."

"What are you talking about? I just need to find her. Right now." _Need? Now?_ Quinn was hoping Mercedes didn't catch the desperation in her voice. Quinn Fabray didn't usually seek people out, people sought her out.

"I saw her hanging on a couple of the guys from the team a little while ago," Mercedes answers, completely unaware. "So I guess they drew the short straw when it came to keeping her busy so the rest of ya'll can set up whatever epic prank you have in store for her, huh?"

Quinn couldn't help the sadness that was creeping up on her. Here she was trying to help a teammate, and yet she was being accused of plotting something devious against the girl. On any other day she may have been outraged at such assumption, despite the fact that on any other day it probably would be true, but she couldn't blame Mercedes for thinking it. After all, of the two alternatives, it was more likely she'd partake in torturing Rachel than assisting her. She briefly wonders when she became _that_ girl and why exactly Rachel bore the brunt of her anger. But there's no time to dwell on the guilt that's pulling at her insides.

"Did you see where they went?"

Mercedes shrugs and shakes her head, but her date offers some useful information. "Chase took her upstairs to lay down I think. She must have had a little too much to drink because he and James were practically carrying her."

Quinn doesn't waste time thanking the nameless boy for his help or explaining herself to Mercedes, she just turns on her heels and beelines for the steps. No giggling gaggle of cheerleaders were going to get in her way this time. Taking the steps two at a time, she's on the second floor in a flash.

* * *

A couple drunkenly stumbles past her and down the stairs, straightening their disheveled clothes in the process. After trying the first two doors to the left, which were locked, and one to the right, Quinn heads towards the back bedroom. Without knocking she wrenches the door open and finds Chase standing before her, his back to the door, his jeans at his ankles and his hands at the waistband of his boxers.

He spins around at the sound of the door flying open. "What the fuck?" he shouts, scrambling to pull his pants back on. She pushes past him, sending him tumbling backwards onto the floor, his legs tangled in denim.

James peels himself off a body on the bed and scurries backwards so that he's kneeling on the foot of the mattress, enabling Quinn to see Rachel laying motionless in front of him. Her dark hair is splayed out messily on the blue and white stripped comforter and her eyes are peacefully closed.

Quinn notices the two boys exchange panicked looks and before she can recognize the boiling anger building in her chest, she's forcefully ripping James off the bed. "Get away from her!"

James grasps the material of his khakis together at his waist, his belt unbuckled and dangling uselessly from its loops. "Chill, we were just having a little fun. Rachel's cool with it."

Blonde hair swishes as she whips her head around violently to stare down the boy. "Cool with it?" Quinn repeats venomously. "It doesn't even look like she's aware of it!"

Quinn allows herself to further take in Rachel's appearance before proceeding. She's still clothed, a simply fact Quinn is grateful for, but her dress is pushed up around her waist revealing a glimpse of pink and white panties. "Rachel?" Quinn starts softly as she takes a seat beside her on the bed and shakes her shoulder gently. "Rachel?" She continues her attempts to rouse her to no avail. "Berry, come on, look at me." After a couple more rounds of rigorous shaking, Rachel's eyes blink open and she begins to moan softly. "There you go." Quinn smiles sweetly at the disoriented girl and pulls the material of her dress down to cover her underwear.

"Hey, she was into this," Chase declares from the corner. "We've been hanging out all week."

"Yeah, she totally wanted it," James adds.

Deciding to give Rachel a moment to clear her head, Quinn launches herself off the bed and towards the boys, who have both managed to fasten their pants by this point. "Do you think I'm stupid?" she asks, her face dangerously close to Chase's. "Do you think I would believe for one second that Rachel would willingly give up her virginity to you two scumbags?" She crosses her arms over her chest and turns her attention to James, her eyes clouded with intensity. "Are you two so pathetic that the only way you can get a girl to sleep with you is to get her too drunk to stop you? Can't handle a girl when she's actually awake?"

"We didn't force her to drink," Chase says defensively. Quinn scoffs at his pitiful response. She had a feeling whatever the two boys had served Rachel to drink wasn't just a simple cocktail, but she had no means for determining her suspicion.

"That's right! And what are you, her mother?" James sneers. "Why don't you just turn around and walk your pretty little self back down those steps. Because this," he gestures towards Rachel, "doesn't concern you!"

She forgets the potential danger of the situation for a moment and shoves the twice-her-size football player against the wall. "You have another thing coming if you think this doesn't concern me! I know what you two are capable of and I'm not about to let that happen to Rachel. Now I suggest you get the hell out of here before I make sure you're physically unable to do this to anyone else." She drops her eyes to the boy's crotch to punctuate the threat.

Chase straightens his collar before slapping James on the shoulder. "Let's just go, man. No piece of ass is worth this headache."

"This is why I prefer girls who don't talk," James mutters as he grabs his cell phone from the nightstand and follows Chase towards the door.

"You mean _can't_ talk?" Quinn responds bitterly. "And don't think this is the last you'll be hearing from me," she calls out as the two boys disappear from sight.

Quinn turns back to the bed and sighs when she sees Rachel's eyes have closed once again. She takes the girls hands in hers and pulls Rachel upright, her tiny body slumping forward. "Come on, Rach. Stay awake for me."

"But I'm soooo tired. Is it time to stop dancing?" Rachel whines in protest.

"There's no dancing, you have to get up," Quinn tells her.

Heavy eye lids blink once, twice, three times. "Ow, my head," Rachel mumbles lowly as she rubs a palm into her aching head and finally adjusts her eyes to the light in the room.

"Finally," Quinn mutters, trying to sound more annoyed than relieved. She watches as Rachel desperately tries to focus her gaze.

"Baaarbie?" Rachel drawls out lazily when she recognizes Quinn's presence. "What are you doing here? Where's Ken?"

Already Quinn is starting to regret her rare display of compassion towards the girl and her grasp on Rachel's hands tighten instinctively. "I swear to God, Manhands, if you don't shut it, I will..."

"Punch me in the face?" Rachel finishes. "You're always saying that. You should do it, I deserve it."

"God, I don't need to deal with this right now." She's starting to remember why she didn't do things like this more often.

"You and Sam make a cute couple," Rachel blurts out abruptly, her voice still dazed. "I bet you'd have really pretty blonde babies and you'd all sing and dance. Like the Von Trapps! I'm happy you two have each other. I have no one." She squeezes her eyes shut tight and squares her shoulders back. "Now, you can go ahead and punch me. I'm ready."

Quinn throws Rachel's hands from hers like they were on fire. "I'm not going to hit you, freak."

"I will!" Santana volunteers happily as she appears in the door frame. She had heard some commotion from a couple of doors over and decided to investigate because whatever was happening in here had to be more interesting than watching Finn sleep it off in the bedroom down the hall. For a guy his size, Finn Hudson was definitely a light weight when it came to alcohol. His head had hit the pillow before she even had a chance to kick off her shoes.

"Santana," Rachel frowns. "Go away. You're mean."

"And you're ugly and annoying." She crosses her arms over her surgically enhanced chest and leans against the wall. "What's going on in here, Q? Are you and Berry hooking up?" She smirks at her own comment but fails to get the reaction she wanted.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Rachel asks sadly. "You have everything. You're pretty, you're popular, your boobs are unnaturally large," she pauses for a moment to consider her last statement, "but you just had to take away the one thing in the world that made me happy. Why?"

Santana shrugs. "Quit your whining, Berry. No one's going to feel bad for you. I do what I do because I want to. End of story. Ok, Treasure Trail?"

Rachel stiffens at the insult. "Why do you call me that? I don't have one," she states pointedly, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Suddenly she's stumbling to her feet and fidgeting with the hem of her dress. "See, I'll show you." She starts furiously hiking up the material.

"Jesus Christ, what are you doing?" Santana shrieks. "Keep your damn clothes on, I believe you."

Rachel drops the bunched fabric in her hands. "I have to go," she declares suddenly. "They're waiting for me."

"Who would be stupid enough to wait around for you?" Santana questions wryly.

"Chase Palladino and James Holden."

"Oh, the fuck you're going to meet those two losers when you're this drunk," Santana informs her matter-of-factly. Sure she couldn't stand the girl but she wasn't about to toss her to the wolves.

"Why not?" Rachel asks genuinely puzzled at the girl's dislike of her companions for the night. "We were having a lovely time. But now I don't see them." She looks around hopelessly. "Were they here? Did they leave me, too? I have to go find them. " She starts forward but Quinn easily pushes her back on the bed.

"Do you not remember anything, Berry? They were here a second ago," she explains somewhat softly. There _definitely _had to be more than alcohol in those drinks if she's this clueless, Quinn thinks.

Rachel furrows her brow. "They were? Where'd they go? I need to find them."

"No you don't," Quinn states simply.

"Why not?" she demands. "They were very nice to me. They're the only ones at school who have been nice to me in weeks, in fact."

"Yeah, they were probably nice to you because they want to get into your pants, or in your case under your hideous skirt, and they have a gift for spotting easy prey," Santana interjects.

Rachel huffs and pushes herself off the bed, ignoring the slight wobble she exhibits at first. "Is it so hard to believe that someone might actually want to be my friend?" she shouts at her antagonizer.

Santana glances down at her manicure haphazardly and stays glued to her spot on the wall. "Yes actually, but that's not the point."

"I'm sick of you always putting me down, Santana! Back off!"

Quinn steps between the two girls and places a calming hand on Rachel's shoulder to steady the frazzled singer. "Rachel, you're not going anywhere. God, you really don't remember, do you?" She searches the girl's eyes for some sort of realization but doesn't find it. "They're known for doing this sort of thing."

Rachel just stares at the blonde, her dark eyes swimming with hurt and confusion. "Remember what? What sort of thing?"

Quinn sighs. She didn't exactly want to have this conversation in front of Santana, but her fellow cheerleader didn't appear poised to leave anytime soon and Rachel's determination to reunite with those two dirtbags needed to be squashed as soon as possible. "Getting some stupid insecure girl drunk at a party and then double teaming her when she's either unconscious or too belligerent to say no. And even if she says no, they don't exactly listen."

Rachel's eye widen considerably and she starts to shake her head furiously, pointing an accusing finger at the blonde. "You're lying, you just don't want me to have any friends! They wouldn't do that to me!"

"Those two animals are not your friends, Rachel! They were about to do it when I walked in here. That's why they left!"

"That's not true. They wouldn't do that. We were talking...and dancing...and they made this special drink for me that tasted kind of funny but it wasn't bad...and now I'm here." She looks around the room carefully, it finally dawning on her that she's in a bedroom and probably on the second floor of the house. "Wait. How did I get here?"

Santana perks up at this information and finally stirs from her spot on the wall. "Whoa, hold up! You mean little Miss Priss was stupid enough to drink the cool-aid? Your lucky Quinn got here in time, you were seconds away from being the inspiration for an episode of Law and Order, Berry."

Quinn just glares at Santana for a second before turning back to Rachel, who's pacing the carpet nervously. _Why doesn't she remember coming up here?_ She places her hands on the sides of her head and tries to will her mind to focus. "I need to get out of here. You two are just trying to trick me. Chase and James can explain."

"Just calm down. You're drunk, or worse, you don't even know what you're talking about. And you most certainly won't be finding those two pigs to explain anything to you." Quinn takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair. Rachel needed an explanation and she'd have to be the one to give it to her.

"I just want to inquire as to why I'm here," Rachel answers indignantly, pausing in confusion before adding, "with you. Perhaps I had a little too much to drink because I can't seem to recall coming here, but I'm sure Chase and James will have a logical explanation."

"God, you're infuriating! Can't you just listen for once!" Quinn snaps, the sharpness of her voice causing Rachel to wince. "You want to know what you were doing up here?"

Rachel nods and sits on the edge of the bed, the throbbing in her head becoming too much to stand.

"I saw you downstairs making out with Chase _and _James. You seemed sort of out of it so I tried to get to you, but the three of you disappeared before I got the chance. When I walked in here, you were on the bed, basically unconscious, with one of them on top of you and the other getting ready to join. I know you're not exactly inclined to believe me, but how else would I know that you're wearing pink panties with white polka dots."

"Wh-what?" The realization seems to hit Rachel harshly and she glances around wildly before looking down at herself, as if her lap might offer some answers. "Did they... do...anything?"

"I don't think so," Quinn answers quietly. She wishes she had a more definitive answer, but truthfully she had no idea what happened before she burst through the door. "You were still dressed when I came in, but your dress was pushed up."

"Oh God." Suddenly she's feeling sick. "How can I be so stupid?"

"Beats me," Santana calls out dryly.

Quinn softens at Rachel's distressed expression. "Let me guess, Chase was getting you drinks all night? Encouraging you to drink?"

Rachel nods. "But they were nice to me all week."

"Because they were planning on nailing you," Santana clarifies rather bluntly. "Seriously Berry, some freshman even went to the cops last year, but of course they did dick about it. They're bad news, stay away from them."

"I was just trying to move on," she whispers hoarsely, not bothering to hide the fact that she's crying.

Santana rolls her eyes. "And entering date rape alley was going to help you move on _how_ exactly?"

"I don't know," she sniffles. "Why doesn't anyone like me?"

"Oh God, Berry. Cut this shit out. You're no fun to torture when you're like this." If she were anyone else, she might have felt compelled to display a softer side of herself in attempts to comfort the distraught girl in front of her, but Santana Lopez only had one side when it came to public opinion, and no blubbering drunk girl was going to damage that image, even if she did feel a little bad for her at the moment.

"We should take her home before she gets any worse," Quinn reasons.

Rachel jumps off the bed with a frantic plea. "No! I can't go home. My dads will be so disappointed in me if they see me like this! Please! They're all I have."

The realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew with this little endeavor dawns on Quinn, but she can't turn back now. "Ok. Just relax. We'll figure something out."


End file.
